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What to do with dad
Paul Smith
Mon - Wed:
10.00am - 6.00pm
Thurs:
10.30am - 7.00pm
Fri:
10.30am - 6.30pm
Sat:
10.00am - 6.30pm
Sun:
1.00pm - 5.00pm
40-44 Floral Street
Covent Garden, London
WC2E 9DG
GEO:51.5127,-0.123879
Phone: 020 7379 7133
Website
Organising a great Father’s Day (which falls on Sunday 21st June this year) is always a tough call. A tie and some socks is the default option but, come on, you can do better than that. For inspiration, take a trip to Covent Garden and discover a world of dad-based delights that will show the old man that you think he’s pretty special.
Dapper dads
Most dads hate clothes shopping, viewing it like a military operation that has to be achieved quickly and efficiently. However the fashion stores of Covent Garden invite casual browsing in a relaxed atmosphere and are within a stone’s throw of each other. Lyle & Scott on King Street offer authentic Scottish knitwear, polo shirts and smart blouson-style jackets in a variety of colours, as well as their traditional diamond check. Alternatively, get him garmed up in a preppy style courtesy of US label Original Penguin or Britain’s Fred Perry, both of which can be found on the North Piazza. The wood-panelled Paul Smith store on Floral Street is also well worth a look for its wide range of tailored shirts.
Cuff, snuff and snaps
If your dad enjoys the odd cigar or puff on a pipe once in a while, then make a beeline for the atmospheric surroundings of Segar and Snuff Parlour in the Market Building. One of the last remaining tobacco specialists in London, they offer a wide range of Havana cigars, plus a heady blend of pipe tobaccos, snuff and smoking paraphernalia. While you’re in the market, check out what’s on offer for Dad on the stalls of the Apple Market. Our pick of the bunch are the hand-woven sterling silver cufflinks by Michael Zadeh from Artizen, or for an arty take on London, why not treat him to some contemporary photographic prints of Britain’s capital, courtesy of Apple Market trader and skilled snapper Yvonne McSherry from McSherry Images.
Pampering presents
He may claim that soap and water is all a man needs for his ablutions but beneath that bluff exterior is a chap crying out for some fancy toiletries. Molton Brown on Russell Street offers a bracing silverbirch body wash and a daily facial wash, specifically formulated for men. Alternatively, Penhaligons on Wellington Street has a collection of traditional shaving and grooming products, including badger hair shaving brushes, aftershaves, balms and soaps. While there, why not buy him a smart leather washbag so he can bin that tatty one he’s probably had since the seventies.
Outward bound
If your dad loves nothing more than marching up and down mountains, blasting around ski slopes and generally getting down and dirty with nature then look no further than Covent Garden’s ‘adventure corner’. Within a minute’s walk of each other, you’ll find stores such as Rohan, Ellis Brigham, The North Face and Snow+Rock, selling everything from camping equipment to hiking boots to robust all-weather clothing. For further encouragement to enjoy the great outdoors, take a trip to Stanfords travel bookshop on Long Acre. It’s the first choice store for intrepid types and contains books and maps covering every area of the globe.
Dining and drinking with dad
An army, it’s said, marches on its stomach and your dad is no different. No day spent strolling the streets of Covent Garden is complete without a quiet pint and some food in one of the area’s many fine restaurants. Take in the sun on the terrace of the Punch & Judy, above the Market Building, or head to the Coach & Horses on Wellington Street or The Globe on Bow Street for a truly traditional pub. Then see the evening out with a feast of well-hung meat at Christopher’s restaurant on Wellington Street or Rules, London’s oldest dining room on Maiden Lane. Alternatively, curry-lovers should check out Masala Zone on Floral Street, serving superb Indian ‘street food’ at reasonable prices.
